Speaker Information for Janice Campbell

Dear Conference Planner,

You’ll find brief information here about me and the presentations I offer. Each workshop (except for the Beat-the-Clock essay workshop) is 45-55 minutes in length, and workshops can be combined to fit a theme or address specific audience needs. Topics are updated and refreshed each year, and new topics added.

If I am scheduled to speak at your conference, you are welcome to use the information on this “speaker information for Janice Campbell” page, including speaker photo (higher resolution available), bio, and workshop descriptions, for advance publicity materials or convention brochures. For pre-conference publicity, I also have articles available on request for your organization’s magazine, newsletter, or convention program. I am always happy to promote your event to my mailing list (I love to meet my readers in person!) and in various social media venues.

Thanks again for visiting — I look forward to hearing from you!

Janice Campbell

P.S. One of the best compliments I ever received was from a workshop attendee who came to all five of my talks at a recent conference. She told me afterward that she’d never heard of me before she arrived at the conference, but she asked someone for workshop recommendations and they recommended mine because “they’re full of good information and not just a pitch-fest.” That has always been my goal, and I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve had. I look forward to sharing good information with your attendees as well.

The supreme end of education is discernment (Samuel Johnson)

Speaker Information for Janice Campbell

I’m honored to be included in the following speaker bureaus:

I have been speaking and consulting in the homeschool community for over two decades. Venues have included HEAV and Virginia Homeschoolers in Virginia, NCHE in North Carolina, CHAP convention in Pennsylvania, ICHE in Illinois, ENOCH in New Jersey, Great Homeschool Conferences in Memphis, Greenville, Cincinnati, Long Beach, and Hartford, INCH, TPA, and smaller conferences such as the NOVA (Northern Virginia Regional) Conference, Heart for Homeschooling Conference in North Carolina (keynote), and others. In addition, I have also spoken at the Self-Reliance Expo, USA Prepares Expo, World Domination Summit, and at a number of writer’s groups and events. Wherever I am, it is my goal to keep topics subject-focused and to be sensitive to audience needs and conference objectives. Please feel free to ask if you have specific questions about worldview or topic content.

2021 Conference Schedule

I look forward to seeing you at one of the following homeschool conventions!

If all goes well, I’ll be doing the Homeschool 101 track at all seven Great Homeschool Conventions:

  • SC- Greenville Convention Center, Greenville, SC – March 18 – 20, 2021
  • MO- St. Charles Convention Center, St. Charles, MO – March 25 – 27, 2021
  • OH- Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati, OH – April 8 – 10, 2021
  • CA- Ontario Convention Center, Ontario, California – June 17 – 19, 2021
  • TX- Kalahari Conventions & Resorts, Round Rock, TX – July 8 – 10, 2021
  • FL- Prime Osborne, III Convention Center, Jacksonville, FL – July 22 – 24, 2021
  • NY- J. A. Floreano Riverside Convention Center, Rochester, NY – August 5 – 7, 2021
  • Online- GreatHomeschoolConventions.com — kicks off on August 9, 2021

Here is a peek at my booth so you will recognize it when you see it. I hope you’ll stop and say hello!

Janice Campbell's conference booth for Everyday Education

Short Bio

Janice Campbell and her husband Donald homeschooled their four sons from preschool into early college using a lifestyle of learning approach influenced by Charlotte Mason and classical education. A lifelong reader and learner, Janice has been sharing her joy in homeschooling at conferences since the 1990s. She speaks on making time for things that matter, teaching literature and writing (including penmanship), homeschooling through high school, record keeping and transcripts, and entrepreneurship. Janice is the author of the Excellence in Literature curriculum for grades 8-12, Transcripts Made Easy, and other resources, and she writes for various homeschooling magazines, as well as online at EverydayEducation.com, Excellence-in-Literature.com, and DoingWhatMatters.com.

Speaking Topics

You’ll notice that talks focus in four main areas, including

  • Teacher training
  • Teaching Literature and Language Arts
  • High school and preparation for the future
  • Microbusiness.

Janice Campbell’s Core Talks

The labour of the mother who sets herself to understand her work is not increased, but infinitely lightened.
Charlotte Mason

How to Teach Classic Literature (Even If You Don’t Know Virginia Woolf from Beowulf)

Have you always wanted to read the classics, but didn’t know where to begin? The “Great Books” are wonderful reading, and well worth the effort it takes to understand them. In this inspiring workshop, you’ll learn how to read challenging books; how context resources such as art, music, and history can help you understand a great work; how literary periods can reveal clues to an author’s worldview; and how to help your high school students develop the kind of deep reading and writing skills they will need in college. You’ll leave knowing how important literature is, and confident that you can teach it! [Focus: Parent Training, Literature, Teens, Audience favorite!]

How to Plan (and Record) Your Homeschool Life

Once you have committed to teaching your students at home, what is the next step? A peaceful, effective homeschool begins with a vision, simple plans, and a routine for getting the right things done. We’ll talk about how to set appropriate academic goals; how to do simple, streamlined planning and record-keeping; how to create a simple master plan (scope and sequence) for what you need to cover each year; and how to create routines that can help you stay relaxed and on track. [Focus: Parent Training, Basics, Planning, Encouragement, Audience favorite] 

How to Choose and Adapt Curriculum

A great curriculum can make learning easier, but how can you know which one to choose? Choosing curriculum is about more than buying books — it’s about knowing your students and their learning styles; knowing yourself and your teaching style, as well as knowing the most important things that must be taught and the primary ways that students learn. We’ll talk about how to work with teaching and learning styles, three skills you must teach, how to evaluate curriculum for the things that really matter, and ways to adapt almost any curriculum you buy (and what to do with the rest).  [Focus: Parent Training, Basics, Planning, K-12, Encouragement]

How to Teach so They Remember: 7+ Ways to Help Your Students Learn Better

During the years that you are homeschooling, you have the chance to help your student become a person who can figure out how to learn anything. Many of the best study skills and learning methods have been used for centuries, and they still work in every grade from kindergarten to graduate school and beyond. No matter what your student plans to do after homeschooling — college, military academy, technical school, art or music school, or an apprenticeship program — being a great learner will make it easier to succeed. [Focus: Parent Training, Basics, K-12] 

How to Teach with Living Books

Imagine a homeschool centered on books that are so interesting or thought-provoking that you would read them even if you didn’t have to. Those books are living books, and they come in every subject. Living books present a feast of great ideas in such a delightful way that students understand, remember, and even learn to care about what they are learning. Join us to learn what living books are, why they are so effective, and ways to use them to study history, geography, science, the arts, life skills, and more. You’ll learn how narration, drawing, and Model-Based Writing work with living books to build communication and thinking skills in an organic, memorable way. You’ll take home the confidence that you can teach in a way that helps your children love to learn. [Focus: Parent Training, Reading, K-12]

Language Arts

One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to have the right ones form themselves into the proper pattern at the right moment.
Hart Crane

How to Teach Writing the Easy, Natural Way: Model-Based Writing for Any Age

Learning to talk happens easily and naturally for most people, and learning to write can happen that way too. Join me to learn how you can teach writing using just pen, paper, and books you already own or can get from the library. You’ll learn a four-stage model-based writing cycle that breaks writing projects into manageable pieces, teaches orderly patterns of thought, encourages creativity, expands knowledge, and helps students—even struggling learners—master the mechanics of writing. [Focus: Parent Training, Language Arts, K-12]

Spreading the Feast: How to Teach Great Literature to Teens

Description above.

How to Write (and Evaluate) Great Essays

Essay writing is an essential high school and college skill. There’s no need to be afraid of teaching this important skill! Join me to learn how to teach your teens to organize thoughts, develop and support a thesis, and construct a logical conclusion, all in a compelling and readable style. We’ll review the parts of an essay and the five-step writing process, learn about writing tools such as mind maps and graphic organizers, and discuss how to constructively and tactfully evaluate your student’s writing.  [Language Arts, Middle-High School]

Mr. McGuffey, Meet Charlotte Mason: Classic Techniques for Teaching Language Arts, Elocution, and More

For over 100 years, the McGuffey Readers were used in countless one-room schoolhouses across America, imparting solid phonics-based reading, writing, and speaking instruction through character-building stories, poetry, and excerpts from important classic works. I’ll show you how to make them even more effective by applying Charlotte Mason’s instructional methods to these timeless classics for a structured, yet simple language arts foundation. [Focus: Parent Training, Language Arts, K-12]

How to Teach Penmanship at Any Age (and Why it Matters)

In this age of keyboards and touch-screens, does your students really need to know how to use pen and paper? Join me to learn what the latest science shows about penmanship and brain development and what the act of writing does for learning. We’ll talk about how to teach penmanship from pre-writing through your choice of a beautiful italic or cursive handwriting style. You’ll be able to try out a bit of italic penmanship, and will leave with tips you can use today. [Focus: Parent Training, Basics, Homeschool 101, K-12]

How to Evaluate Student Writing: You Don’t Have to Be An English Major!

Do you know what you need to know to evaluate your student’s writing skills? Can you recognize quality writing when you see it? Most professional teachers use a set of objective standards, known as a rubric, to fairly evaluate student’s written work and to pinpoint areas that need improvement. You can use this valuable tool also! Come to this workshop and learn how to recognize well-written work, and how to use a rubric to evaluate writing skills, including content, organization, style, word choice, sentence fluency, and mechanics. [Parent Training, Middle-High School]

Teaching Teens: Homeschooling Through High School

Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.
Aristotle

How to Homeschool High School (Key: It’s an Education, Not a Rat Race)            

What does a great high school education look like? If you’ve worried that it means giving up teaching in a way that fits your family, and transforming into a Ms. Gradgrind, demanding “facts, and nothing but facts,” worry no more. It’s entirely possible to create a high school experience that preserves the joy of learning while preparing each student for the appropriate next step in life. We’ll look at the primary purpose of the high school years; your role; things your student must know before graduating; records, transcripts, and gap years; interesting learning opportunities for homeschooled teens; and more. You’ll learn which requirements are important; how to decide what each student should study; and how to tailor the high school experience to fit the student’s interests, aptitudes, and future plans. You’ll leave with the confidence that you and your teen can homeschool through high school with joy. 

7 Steps to a Simple, Powerful Transcript

Transcripts are not just for college — every student needs one. The high school transcript is designed to highlight your student’s talents, strengths, and skills in the same way a résumé does for a prospective employee. It should present an accurate overview of the high school experience, tailored to fit the focus of the target audience, whether that is a college, military academy, technical school, art or music school, or an apprenticeship program. I’ll share a step-by-step process for creating a simple, effective transcript, including how to assign grades, calculate a grade point average, name classes, and grant credit. You’ll be sure to leave with a “can-do” feeling.  [Focus: Parent Training, Teens, Planning, Recordkeeping, Encouragement, Audience favorite!]

Becoming Professor Mom: How to Teach What You Never Learned

If you’re an ordinary homeschool mom with an ordinary education, you might not feel fully equipped to teach your children well. The good news is that homeschool moms have a unique opportunity to learn not only what we missed in school, but also anything we’ve ever wanted to know! Join me to learn how to set personal learning goals, keep a learning journal, cultivate a beautiful memory, and more. No matter what you study — genealogy, horticulture, Latin, or art — your children will benefit from seeing exactly how to make learning a lifelong joy. [[Focus: Parent Training, Basics, Homeschool 101]

Early College: Start When You’re Ready; Learn What You Need

Did you know you can save thousands of dollars by having your students earn college credits while in high school? Whether or not  your student plans to earn a four-year degree, earning a few college credits can be a wise choice. Not only can you save time and money, but college credits on a high school transcript can be a credibility clincher for the grades you’ve granted. In addition, starting college at home usually allows you to use curriculum and resources that reflect your values. Join us to learn where to start and how to find resources, the one type of college class you’ll definitely want your student to CLEP out of, and more. [Focus: Parent Training, Teens, Planning, Encouragement]

Why Homeschool? Gentle Answers for Tough Questions

Whether you love the idea of homeschooling or think it’s the craziest thing since pet rocks, homeschooling is here to stay. We’ll start with a look at the top reasons you might want to homeschool, backed by solid statistics, then we’ll talk about questions such as: Is homeschooling legal? Is testing required? How much does homeschooling cost? What about socialization? Will it take all day? Even if you already know you want to homeschool, you’ll leave this talk with confidence that you can answer tough questions from those who doubt. [Focus: Parent Training, Basics, Encouragement]

Microbusiness

A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it,
bearing within him the image of a cathedral.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The following three talks work well as a set, but can also be requested individually.

1- How to Start and Learn from a Microbusiness

  • A microbusiness is a one-person business that you can start on a shoestring and build at your own speed. You can learn to earn what you need while doing something you love from wherever you are. Entrepreneurship and home education can lead to habits of mind that produce the kinds of creative, responsible citizen-scholars who founded our country. We’ll talke about how to choose and start a manageable microbusiness, how to incorporate entrepreneurial education into your homeschool, and ways you can grant credit for various types of entrepreneurial learning. [Focus: Parent Training, Entrepreneurship, Teens, Inspiration].

2- The Business Plan: How to Design a Microbusiness with Multiple Streams of Income

  • You’ve started a microbusiness and it’s doing pretty well, but what comes next? Is it possible to build a home business that brings in a full-time income? Join us for a look at an orderly 5-stage business model that will allow you to build a stable business that generates many streams of income, while remaining home based and debt free. You’ll see examples of how other families are doing just that, both online and offline, and learn a method of time management that will help you get the big projects done. [Focus: Parent Training, Entrepreneurship, Teens, Planning]

3- Marketing: How to Create a Simple, Effective Website for Your Microbusiness

  • It doesn’t do much good to have a great product or service if your target market can’t find you. One of the fastest and cheapest ways to build your business is to create a simple blog-based website, then boost your search engine rankings through a variety of simple search engine optimization (SEO) techniques that bring potential customers right to you. We’ll discuss how to get your site online in a weekend (for less than the cost of nice dinner out), how to attract visitors and make your site search-engine friendly, and how to keep your posts moving farther and faster than you thought possible. [Focus: Parent Training, Entrepreneurship, Teens]

How to Become an Entrepreneurial Writer

  • Have you always wanted to be a writer, but hesitated because you also need to earn a living? This clear, candid overview of the writing life will help you choose the basic tools and systems you need in order to create an extra stream of income, and perhaps even even build it into a freelance career.
  • You will learn:
    • Multiple ways to earn money by writing
    • How and why to choose a niche
    • How to structure your career plan
    • Fast, cheap, and easy marketing tips
    • How to streamline customer service

Optional Special Events for Before, During, or After a Conference

Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshop

  • The Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshop prepares students for writing timed essays, such as those found on the SAT, ACT, and some CLEPs and other exams. This four-hour writing workshop can be scheduled on its own, or in conjunction with a homeschool conference. I’ve been offering this popular workshop since 2002, and students consistently indicate that they feel more confident about tackling essays.
  • During the workshop,  I provide an overview of the 5-step writing process, tips on what evaluators look for, a simple formula for time management, step-by-step instruction in how to approach the essay question, a 30+-page handbook, and more. Students write two complete timed essays while there, and receive feedback if requested. You can find complete details at www.essayworkshop.com
  • I work with convention coordinators to make this special event a drawing card for their conference, providing a program descript; promotional copy for flyers or brochures; publicity on my website, e-newsletter, and blog; tuition at the local rate, plus a 5% per student discount off the regular tuition if there are 50 or more students. To encourage conference attendance, this discount can be offered when parents register for the full convention along with the BTC workshop. As an alternative, the organization may choose to use the event as a fundraiser, and offer the workshop at regular tuition, and keep the amount of the discount. Other options include offering a member/non-member tuition rate, or using the discount to include an auditing parent in the student registration. I am open to discussing other ideas, so please feel free to contact me if the Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshop is something you might like to offer your conference attendees.

I speak to homeschoolers, charter schools, writers, self-publishers, freelancers, entrepreneurs, the self-reliance/homesteading community, and others. If you are interested, just ask!

Compensation

I enjoy working with conferences of all sizes and carefully consider all invitations. I am happy to speak multiple times within a conference, and will post promotional links to your event on my blog and newsletter. I am flexible, but ideally, compensation should include a room in the conference hotel, checking in the night before the conference begins and checking out the morning after it ends; mileage-based travel allowance (from zip code 23005) or plane fare; and 2 vendor booths and/or honorarium. It’s a joy to share experience with younger homeschoolers, and I look forward to working with you!

We have recently enjoyed being at these conferences:

It was a delight to do the Homeschool 101 track at the Great Homeschool Conventions last year!

2018, 2019 (2020 would have happened, but you know what happened instead!)

I did the Homeschool 101 track at all the Great Homeschool Conventions:

In addition, I’ll be returning to two of my favorite state conferences and visiting one that is new to me:

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

 

Education without values, as useful as it is, 
seems rather to make man a more clever devil.
C.S. Lewis

Slightly longer bio

Janice Campbell and her husband Donald homeschooled their sons from preschool into early college using a lifestyle of learning approach influenced by Charlotte Mason, classical learning, and the Thomas Jefferson method. Her books and resources reflect Janice’s focus on twaddle-free, active learning (she did have boys, after all!).

Janice speaks at conferences nationwide on subjects including literature and writing, parent training for more confident homeschooling, high school (including records and transcripts), as well as entrepreneurship for homeschool families. She is the author of the Excellence in Literature curriculum for grades 8-12, Transcripts Made Easy, and Get a Jump Start on College, among other things. 

Whether teaching high school students to love literature, parents to be more inspired or effective teachers, or families how to create multiple streams of income through microbusiness entrepreneurship, Janice’s focus is on sharing the joy of the journey and lighting lamps so that others can more easily find their way. Her website, www.Everyday-Education.com, offers inspiration, resources, and a free e-newsletter.

How to contact me: jcampbell@doingwhatmatters.com.

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4 Responses

  1. Kristy says:
    April 23, 2017 at 5:45 am

    I attended your session today concerning transcripts at the Cincinnati Homeschool Convention. You mentioned that you could send us the PDFs of the slides. Could you send those to me?

    Thank you for sharing with us!

    Reply

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